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and the Ministry of Health was kept constantly informed
of the position. One of the London boroughs concerned,
after satisfying themselves that this Council had
cause to complain, took the first opportunity and cancelled
the contract with the firm responsible for contravening
the regulations.
On two occasions the dumps have caught fire, and
though this might have been prevented if the regulations
had been carried out, it gave Messrs. Butter's an answer
as to why the covering had not been done.
During the past year, however, although dumping
has again been carried on without regard to the regulations,
the refuse has not caught fire.
It having come to my knowledge that refuse was
still arriving from the particular London borough
already mentioned, a meeting was held at the tip with
the Borough Surveyor concerned (at which the Clerk,
the Sanitary Inspector and myself attended) and as a
result no further refuse came from that particular area.
Messrs. Rutter's complained to the Council, but it
decided to take no action. Since this incident, matters
have greatly improved at the tip. Owing to the value
for brickmaking purposes of the material dumped, we
are hoping that the improvement will continue.
Reviewing the statistics which deal with the health
of the district for the five-year period. The population
increased according to the Registrar General's returns
from 12050 to 13060. We find the birth rate has been
well above the average, reaching 26.1 per 1000 of population
the first year, dropping slightly till it was 24.18 in
1923, reaching the low-water mark of just under 20 in
1924, and climbing to 20.82 last year.
During the first year there was a large total of
infectious disease, viz:—111 cases of Diphtheria, with
12 deaths and 93 of Scarlet Fever, with one death.
Fortunately, the totals since then have dropped considerably
till in 1923, there were only 4 cases of
Diphtheria and. 11 of Scarlet Fever. In 1924, there
were 9 cases of Diphtheria but 62 of Scarlet Fever.
Last year the figures were 33 cases of Diphtheria and 24
of Scarlet Fever.
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